48th Lauretta Bender Conference

We are honored this year to bring you our distinguished honoree and speaker Warren Y. K. Ng, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University; Medical Director for Outpatient Behavioral Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC); and Director of Clinical Services, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at CUIMC; Behavioral Health Service Line Clinical Innovation Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Ng oversees the comprehensive spectrum of clinical programs in child, adolescent, and adult outpatient and community behavioral health at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Division of Community and Population Health. He also oversees the psychiatric services at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York within the outpatient, emergency department and inpatient services.

He is the Immediate Past-President of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent (AACAP). He serves on the NYS Governor’s Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council. He is a Past-President of the New York Council on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. At the American Psychiatric Association (APA), he served in the Council on Children, Adolescents and their Families. He is an Aspen Institute Health Innovator Fellow and a member for the Aspen Global Learning Network. He has been the recipient of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Martha Hooven Award for Excellence in Community Service and the AACAP Jeanne Spurlock Award MD on Diversity and Culture

About the Event:

At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to:

1. Describe key social determinants of mental health for youth
2. Identify the youth disproportionately impacted by the mental health crisis
3. List key mental health trends in health disparities and inequity
4. Understand an integrative, multidisciplinary approach to treating youth impacted by mental health disparities
5. Select specific strategies in responding to health justice in youth mental health

The current crisis in child and adolescent mental health has been building silently for decades leading to the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in partnership with AAP and CHA declared a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health in October 2021 to raise greater awareness to this ongoing crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the past decade’s silent youth mental health pandemic and the inequities embedded within the systems of care. With 1/5 children and adolescents living with behavioral and/or developmental disorders and fewer than half receiving any treatment, many youth suffered in silence. Suicide was already the second leading cause of death for youth 10-24 years of age. The pandemic exposed the reality of what was going on within communities of color. There has been a disproportionate increase in black children dying from suicide at alarming rates, especially girls and younger children. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the social determinants of mental health and risk factors including family mental health and substance use issues, adverse childhood experiences, racial disparities, social isolation, trauma, food and housing insecurity, economic stress, and poverty. Youth and families of color are disproportionately impacted by the systemic and structural racism and inequities embedded within the systems of care meant to serve them. The syndemics of racism, COVID-19 and mental health created the perfect storm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents went to emergency rooms in crisis. There was a 24% increase in emergency department visits for mental health conditions for children aged 5-11 and 31% increase for youth aged 12-17 years old. There was a 51% increase in adolescent females going to the emergency department with suspected suicidal behaviors. Youth arriving in crisis within emergency departments were presenting with increased severity, complexity and comorbidities. The existing system of care for youth mental health could not meet the rapidly increasing demands of the crisis. Solutions required to truly address the crisis in child and adolescent mental health have to be systemic and structural. There needs to be transformative change in all services focused on children, youth and families. Synergy and collaboration are necessary to center the children, youth and families especially those who are racially and ethnically minoritized. All of our systems of care including the health, mental health, juvenile justice-involved, educational, and developmental domains must develop a shared vision. Working in partnership with government, communities and professional organizations, AACAP’s child and adolescent psychiatrists have contributed to strategies such as integrated mental health services with pediatric providers, enhanced school based mental health, and coordinated crisis response services. President Tami Benton has created a Presidential theme to tackle this challenge with “Bringing the Village to the Children”. Collaborations with youth, families and communities in advocacy must be a key component and partnership to continue transforming systems of care to serve all youth, families and communities with health equity and justice. In addition to the insightful presentations by Dr. Ng, the conference will include a multi-disciplinary panel with representatives from psychiatry, psychology, social work, and family advocacy to discuss treatment of challenging cases which illuminate the impact mental health disparities have on our youth and how to best address them.

Join us as we address this critical issue and work together to seek mental health justice for our children, youth, and families!

Host or Publisher The Advisory Board of New York City Children’s Center